3 Signs Your Toyota Needs a Radiator Repair

A healthy radiator is key to a long and healthy engine life. The radiator is responsible for removing the heat from your engine by heat exchange. This process replaces hot internal air with cooler external air and keeps your engine at its optimum operating temperature. As time passes, your radiator can become worn or damaged. If this happens, your Toyota of Kingsport in Kingsport, TN, can fix it for you. These are a few signs that you might need a radiator repair.

Failed Thermostat

Liquid coolant is pumped through your engine at high speed to control the temperature. It does this by absorbing engine heat which is taken to the radiator, where the heat is removed. The coolant flow will continue from the time your engine reaches a set temperature until it falls below this temperature again. The release of coolant is covered by a small valve known as the thermostat.

The thermostat is programmed with a pre-set temperature. When your engine reaches this temperature, the thermostat opens and releases coolant. If your thermostat fails, your engine will receive either too much or not enough coolant. If the coolant isn’t circulating, your engine temperature will rise, and it could overheat. Our certified technicians will test the thermostat and replace it if it failed.

Your Engine Temperature Is Increasing

Under normal conditions, your engine operates efficiently at a temperature between 185 F and 210 F. This provides the optimum point for combustion without allowing the engine to get too hot. Your engine temperature gauge should hover around the halfway point on the gauge. You might notice an increase above this if the external temperature is very hot, or you’re accelerating.

if you notice your engine temperature climbing without a good reason, we advise pulling over as soon as it’s safe to do so. Allow your engine to cool and call our service department immediately. Driving with an overheating engine can result in serious and expensive avoidable damage. We’ll examine your engine to find the cause of the overheating and repair the problem.

Leaking coolant

Coolant is vital for your engine, and a lack of coolant can swiftly cause engine damage. Seals and gaskets can fail, and the cylinders and pistons can be warped if the problem isn’t fixed. Coolant isn’t consumed as it works, which means a lack of coolant can only be due to a leak.

You can test for a coolant leak by placing a large piece of clean cardboard underneath your car overnight. If you see yellow, pink, blue, or green liquid on the cardboard the next day, you have a coolant leak. We’ll rapidly trace this leak and repair it to fix the problem.

If your engine is getting too hot, schedule an appointment with us right away at Toyota of Kingsport’s Toyota Service Center.

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